PCRM charges that three dairy industry trade groups — the International Dairy Foods Association, National Dairy Council and Dairy Management Inc. — and companies Kraft Foods, General Mills and Dannon are misleading consumers with advertising that makes "scientifically unsubstantiated claims about the effect of dairy products on weight-loss."

McNeill Nutritionals LLC, the maker of Lactaid, and LifeWay Foods, the manufacturer of a yogurt-like beverage called kefir, are also named as defendants.

PCRM filed the suits on behalf of Catherine Holmes, a Virginia resident, who relied on the claims and actually gained weight while following recommendations contained in a series of dairy weight-loss ads. The suits— one for money damages, the other a class-action suit seeking injunctive relief — were filed in Alexandria Circuit Court in Virginia.

The weight-loss campaign is based on two studies by Michael Zemel, an industry-funded researcher at the University of Tennessee, funded by $1.7 million in research grants from the National Dairy Council and $275,000 from General Mills.

He has patented a weight-loss program from his findings and licensed it to the International Dairy Foods Association for fees of up to $50,000 a year.

"The overwhelming weight of scientific evidence confirms that dairy products either cause weight gain or, at best, have no effect on weight whatsoever," said Amy Lanou, PCRM senior nutrition scientist.

Lanou said that, since 1989, there have been 35 clinical trials that have explored the relationship between dairy products and/or calcium supplements and body weight. Only the two studies led by Zemel had found that dairy contributes to both weight and fat loss.

PCRM filed petitions with both the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission earlier this year against the campaign.

Restricted Content

About GRBJ

Since 1983, the Grand Rapids Business Journal has been West Michigan's primary and most-trusted source of local business news. The weekly print edition of the Business Journal, a must-read for the area’s top decision-makers, is known as the business newspaper of metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon and all of West Michigan.

grbj.com provides the same trusted and objective business reporting that the Business Journal is known for -- plus real-time original content, timely enewsletters/alerts, exclusive blogs and more. Business Journal subscribers receive the weekly print edition, including bonus publications like the annual Book of Lists, and also complete access to all content on grbj.com.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal is published by Gemini Publications.